Kelsey Lu: Blood review – absorbing, astonishing debut album
(Columbia) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarFontaines DC: Dogrel review – boisterous Irish punks' perfect debut
In a bracing Dublin accent, Grian Chatten rants, brags and balladeers across a fantastic range of quality songs - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarAki Takase/Japanic: Thema Prima review – vivacious, genre-vaulting jazz adventures
(BMC)Recorded in Budapest for her 70th birthday, Takase’s new album fields catchy hooks, improv, raw noise and cryptic vocals in indefatigable style - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarSchubert: Sonatas & Impromptus review – Schiff's 1820 piano brings fascinating insights
A 19th-century Viennese fortepiano shows off its special tonal qualities in this magnificent detailed and expressive double disc set - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarChausson: Poème de l'Amour et de la Mer/Symphonie review – glorious singer brings key composer to life
The effortlessly elegant Véronique Gens shows why she is one of the great singers of our time on this transcendent work - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLucy Rose: No Words Left review – her starkest, most striking album yet
Rose’s stripped-back songs convey bleakness and beauty in equal measure – they are her strongest artistic statement yet - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarThe Cinematic Orchestra: To Believe review – heartbreakingly brilliant
(Ninja Tune) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarDave: Psychodrama review – the boldest and best British rap album in a generation
Fearless and incisive, Dave’s reportage-style tracks sketch out race, prison and abusive relationships, resulting in a landmark record - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarDurand Jones & the Indications: American Love Call review – immaculate and eternal soul
The sound may be retro but this band’s new, strong songs show how timeless soul music is. It has the makings of a classic - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarHerlin Riley: Perpetual Optimism review – good-natured ease, brilliantly done
(Mack Avenue) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarFat White Family: Serfs up! review – a giant leap forward
(Domino) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarLizzo: Cuz I Love You review – on the bright side of history
US singer and rapper Melissa Jefferson’s third album is the biggest, most focused set of her career thus far - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstar03 Greedo: Still Summer in the Projects – inside man's breakout moment?
It may not leave his parole officer smiling but the rapper lushly produced album proves his talents cannot be restrained - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarKelsey Lu: Blood review – inventive, crystalline debut of a pop auteur
There’s a purposefulness to Lu’s soft, folk-influenced soundscape songs that marks out a big talent - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarAngélique Kidjo: Celia review – magnificent African reinvention of salsa
Kidjo’s album takes the songs of Celia Cruz and adds Afrobeat and other influences with stars including Tony Allen and Meshell Ndegeocello - Robin Denselow
starstarstarstarstarStubbleman: Mountains and Plains review – a low-key charmer
(Crammed Discs) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarThe Chemical Brothers: No Geography review – revitalised back-to-skool anthems
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons’s ninth album sees the big-beast rave duo simplify their equipment and refresh their sound - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarGabriel Latchin Trio: The Moon and I review – light-touch bebop with love
(Alys Jazz) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarLee Fields & the Expressions: It Rains Love review – soul with succour and punch
(Big Crown) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarWeyes Blood: Titanic Rising review – beauty deep enough to drown in
Natalie Mering’s gorgeously smart fourth album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarWH Lung: Incidental Music review – dynamic synth-pop hums with life
Manchester trio’s debut morphs insistent rhythmic themes, building and releasing tension in nervy ecstasy - it’s modern psychedelia maximised - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarFrom Here: English Folk Field Recordings Volume 2 review – unvarnished voices fire the form
Various artists(From Here Records)From June Tabor to Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Richard Dawson to Grace Petrie, artists known and new interpret ‘from here’ - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarJess Ribeiro: Love Hate review – hazy dream-pop simmering with lust
On her versatile third album, the darkly acoustic Melbourne singer-songwriter has made an all-electric technicolour lunge towards pop - Andrew Stafford
starstarstarstarstarMysliveček: Complete Keyboard Music review – Mozart's mentor sparkily revived
Pianist Clare Hammond revives work by a forgotten Czech composer with buoyant grace - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarEdwyn Collins: Badbea – a joyous comeback
(AED) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarBillie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? review – a hugely assured debut
(Polydor) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarShow Me the Body: Dog Whistle review – howling punk paranoia everyone can relate to
The New York punk trio’s second album is a claustrophobic and cathartic attack on the status quo - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBillie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? review – thrilling Gen Z terror-pop
The 17-year-old my draw sneers but her broken balladry, gaspy vocals and hip-hop-pop is part of a clear vision – and makes for a unique album - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarHenryk Górecki: Symphony No 3 review – minimalism made human
The Portishead singer is not a trained soprano but her wracked style brings out the work’s eerie desperation - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarJenny Lewis: On the Line review – gripping, subversive, bittersweet
(Warner) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarNilüfer Yanya: Miss Universe review – hilariously talented
(ATO/Pias) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarJayda G: Significant Changes review – inclusive manifesto for dancefloors – and oceans
The DJ’s Chicago house grooves are warmly contagious, steered by her fizzy vocal ad-libs - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarIbibio Sound Machine: Doko Mien review – borderless groove polymaths
Combining disco and new wave with Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian folk, ISM’s hybrid sound is best when casual and classy - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarLambchop: This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) review – growing experimental gracefully
A lesson in how to keep moving forward, Kurt Wagner keeps experimenting with his ability to see beauty in everything, every day - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarThese New Puritans: Inside the Rose review – swimming in ideas
While not as commercial as they profess, TNP’s fourth album is surprisingly direct and romantic - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKathryn Tickell and the Darkening: Hollowbone review – a clever shape-shifter of a record
(Resilient) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarChai: Punk review – harebrained gang bring positive pop vibes
The Japanese quartet’s second album amplifies the synth-pop and reframes empowerment: it’s a delight - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarVein/Norrbotten Big Band: Symphonic Bop review – jump-cut trio's crossover tour de force
Charismatic Vein join much-feted Norrbotten Big Band for a set of dizzying mashups that will be great live - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarBarraqué: Works for Piano review – elusive composer's total serialism is vividly realised
The French composer – a postwar pupil of Messaien’s – wrote only a handful of works. Collot’s new recording shows his Piano Sonata to be one of the great achievements of serialism - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarDave: Psychodrama review – debut long-player doesn’t disappoint
(Neighbourhood) - Dan Hancox
starstarstarstarstarBranford Marsalis Quartet: The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul review – intuitive classic jazz
(Okeh) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarFoals: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 review – epic songs for a world in a spin
Foals have found a new zip to their grooves: this is a fitting soundtrack for a world mired in uncertainty - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarJames Yorkston: The Route to the Harmonium review – intimate anthems of life and death
Yorkston continues to push himself on this engrossing folk album full of delicate authority - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarGrace Williams: Chamber Works review – don't take this neglected Welsh composer at her word!
Madeleine Mitchell and the LCE have recorded six unpublished chamber works by the 20th-century composer. It’s a fascinating listen - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarThe Comet Is Coming: Trust in the Life Force of the Deep Mystery review – hardcore jazz
(Impulse) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarSelf Esteem: Compliments Please review – sly, covetous pop
Ex-Slow Club singer Rebecca Taylor brings indignation, heft and cold drama to her debut solo album - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarLittle Simz: Grey Area review – call to arms as rapper finds her feet
The Londoner really finds her groove on this third album, switching between fiery and vulnerable in style - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarThe Japanese House: Good at Falling review – candid breakup pop lets the air in
Amber Bain’s debut leaves the skittering electronica behind for songs that excavate her love life - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarMaja SK Ratkje: Sult review – compelling steampunk synthesis
Ratkje’s upcycled pump organ, with added tubes, strings and percussion – is a fascinating instrument to decipher her literary inspiration - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarTippett: Symphonies Nos 3 & 4; Symphony in B flat review – crisp, sinewy revival
He may be unfashionable now, but Tippett’s Third Symphony sounds robust and his B flat symphony is rarely heard, making an interesting survey - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarJavier Girotto Trio: Tango Nuevo Revisited review – doing it their way
(Act) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarJulia Jacklin: Crushing review – ghostly, rollicking second album
(Transgressive) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarSleaford Mods: Eton Alive review – anger tempered by resignation
(Extreme Eating) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarLittle Simz: Grey Area review – rap maverick finally finds her groove
Long stuck on the brink of success, the Londoner balances idiosyncrasy with big tunes on her winning third album - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarGiggs: Big Bad... review – lone wolf of British rap still on the prowl
The Peckham rapper has become one of the UK’s most successful by sticking to his guns – and being gifted with a uniquely sensual vocal tone - Dean Van Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarAdia Victoria: Silences review – compelling southern gothic blues
The story of a woman negotiating race, religion and powerlessness in America, Victoria’s fine second album suggests turmoil but never overdoes it - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarSleaford Mods: Eton Alive review – damning details of life on a frayed isle
Always recognisable and always evolving, Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson’s barked social snapshots turn melodic - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarGunna: Drip or Drown 2 review – poised, plangent Atlantan justifies hype
You can hear the influences – Young Thug, Atlanta rap and more – but Gunna makes it add up to more on this thoughtful album for a bruised America - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBernard Rands: Chains Like the Sea; Cello Concerto; Danza Petrificada review – rare but never rarified
NMC’s new releases include striking works by Rands, in celebration of the label’s three decades of championing contemporary music - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLoyle Carner: Not Waving, But Drowning review – defiantly old-school
(AMF) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLoyle Carner: Not Waving, But Drowning review – heartfelt hip-hop
Paeans to his mum, girlfriend and almost everybody else he knows make for an that is intimate and refreshing second album - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarJade Bird: Jade Bird review – edgy, unsparing Americana
Bird’s debut shows an artist polished and forceful, but sometimes her sparkle gets sanded down - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarBananarama: In Stereo review – pop duo shimmy into the modern age
Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward update their sound with club bangers and electropop, while not forgetting the gleeful singalong choruses - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarSchumann: The Symphonies review – bombast and revelation
The Staatskapelle’s sumptuous playing is hard to fault, but conductor Thielemann is too overblown at times - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLizzo: Cuz I Love You review – body-positive pop with its foot on the gas
Lizzo’s exhausting third album ramps up the drama to 11 with dense arrangements, squealing guitars and climactic vocals - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarThe Chemical Brothers: No Geography review – rewinding the 90s
(Virgin EMI) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAnderson .Paak: Ventura review – sweet and loose
(Aftermath) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarNorah Jones: Begin Again review – confident off-the-cuff collection
(Blue Note)Seven tracks made last year in impromptu recordings with the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Thomas Bartlett shows Jones is an artist at her ease - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarGirli: Odd One Out review – gutsy, rough-edged debut
(PMR) - Peter Robinson
starstarstarstarstarKhalid: Free Spirit review – an engaging follow-up
(Columbia) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarAnitta: Kisses review – Brazilian pop megastar knocks on global door
Singer’s fourth album, sung in Portuguese, Spanish and English, adds Snoop Dogg and Swae Lee to the Latin pop template, seeking global reach - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarPriests: The Seduction of Kansas review – punks take a swing at the state of the nation
Populist political bellwether Kansas is the inspiration for this album of disparate punk-pop from intellectually fearless trio, which drifts at times - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarWhite Denim: Side Effects review – a left-field institution
(City Slang) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMarry Waterson & Emily Barker: A Window to Other Ways review – a good fit
(One Little Indian) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarEdwyn Collins: Badbea review – arch punk provocateur ages defiantly
Good humour and Ramones-like guitar riffs lift a ninth solo album that sees Collins ageing heedlessly - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarMarvin Gaye: You're the Man review – 'lost album' sits at crossroads of soul
Remixed and repackaged collection finds a troubled artist caught between the socially conscious What’s Going On and the Motown machine - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarEx Hex: It’s Real review – a lacklustre follow-up
(Merge) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarOlcay Bayir: Rüya review – intriguing and gloriously mournful songs
Bayir’s second album adds her own compositions and feels gently uplifting and exquisite - Robin Denselow
starstarstarstarstarPiazzolla: María de Buenos Aires review – Tango operita deserves wider audience
Piazzolla’s ‘tango operita’, is supposed to be the story of tango itself, but this concert performance isn’t quite edgy enough - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarKaren O and Danger Mouse: Lux Prima review – soul-pop sass meets funk
(BMG) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarStephen Malkmus: Groove Denied review – stark, forbidding soundscapes
(Domino) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarShy FX: Raggamuffin SoundTape review – drum'n'bass pioneer's wide-ranging return bangs every drum
From club d’n’b to ragga to troubled soul, not to mention Cara Delevingne, this is a picture of an artist of many moods – and friends - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarThe Cinematic Orchestra: To Believe review – soundscape originators' accomplished return
The sound of TCO’s tasteful electronica has become ubiquitous. This new album isn’t experimental or idiosyncratic enough to stand out - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarKaren O & Danger Mouse: Lux Prima review – complex and lingering
The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s frontwoman shines beyond her signature yelp on this cinematic, subtle album - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarSigrid: Sucker Punch review – a wholesome blast of fresh air
(Island) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarSolange: When I Get Home – the Snapchat album
Solange Knowles’s tantalising fourth album conjures fragments and fleeting impressions that get inside your head - Kate Mossman
starstarstarstarstarSigrid: Sucker Punch review – potential pop rebel plays safe
With her anti-glam image and refusal to collude, Sigrid promised so much: pity then that the spotless Scandipop on her first album feels risk-averse - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarJuice WRLD: Death Race for Love review – emo-rap headed straight for gen Z
Is this the most pop emo-rap album so far? There’s relatable pain and heartbreak but violence and misogyny seep out - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarRoyal Trux: White Stuff review – reunited with groove to spare
(Fat Possum) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarHozier: Wasteland, Baby! review – catchy second album
(Rubyworks/Island) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarTeen: Good Fruit review – dreamy new depths
(Carpark) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarYola: Walk Through Fire review – glorious, sun-soaked contentment
(Nonesuch) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarTeeth of the Sea: Wraith review – sonic dystopians explore ambient brass
The London trio’s new album plays more like experiments in techno doom, before turning muddy - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarLabrinth, Sia and Diplo Present… LSD review – streaming supergroup underwhelm
(Syco) - Peter Robinson
starstarstarstarstarEmma Bunton: My Happy Place review – smily Spice sticks to the inoffensive
Bunton’s first album in 13 years is a clutch of favourite covers, but it feels safe and saccharine - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarKhalid: Free Spirit review – streaming star crashes into cliche
After a meteoric social-media rise, the Gen-Z singer’s second effort is less original in spite of the big-name producers onboard - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarThe Matthew Herbert Brexit Big Band: The State Between Us review – spacious political elegy
Herbert’s mournful album aims to portray Britain in relation to the EU – yet it lacks focus - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarDido: Still on My Mind review – serenely pedestrian
(BMG) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarMaren Morris: Girl review – country or pop, or stuck in the middle
After a lauded debut album and a dance hit, Morris seemed poised to go mainstream, but her follow-up to Hero is unconvincing - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarTom Walker: What a Time to Be Alive review – feel the algorithm
Gruffly ordinary, featured on the Love Island soundtrack and boasting a Brit award, Walker seems algorithmically designed for our times - Alexis Petridis
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